An Officer And A Gentlemen
by Alexz Recoro
Summary: NOT based on the movie. Kay Bennett is a girl who has given up on love, except the love of her child. But when she moves to Texas, a friendship with a handsome naval officer may just blossom into true love for her and a father for her child.
1. A New Home

Title: An Officer And A Gentlemen

Author: Alexz Recoro

Summary: NOT based on the movie. Kay Bennett is a girl who has given up on love, except the love of her child. But when she moves to Texas, a friendship with a handsome naval officer may just blossom into true love for her and a father for her child.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters..

Feedback: Please read and review. NO FLAMES!

**AN: **For this story, I changed a few things.

1.) Kay ran from Harmony and Miguel before giving birth and has kept running every since.

2.) Kay gave birth to a son instead of a girl, named Charlie Samuel Bennett.

3.) Since Kay left before giving birth, everything that has happened after that never happened.

4.) Kay was eighteen when she became pregnant and gave birth to Charlie.

5.) I have no idea what the name of Sam's father was, but for this story I'm going to say it was Charles. So Charlie was named for his great-grandfather and his grandfather.

This will eventually be a JAG crossover. I just don't know if it will be this story or the sequel to this. But there will be a JAG crossover, I promise.

CHAPTER ONE

Charlie Samuel Bennett pulled restlessly at his mothers hand. Kay smiled down at him and released his hand.

"Stay in here where I can see you, okay?" She asked, petting his downy golden brown hair. Charlie beamed up at her and nodded.

"Okay Mama." He promised. He walked away from her and plopped down in a patch of sunlight coming through the huge picture window and pulled a dinosaur toy from his backpack. Kay and Mrs. West, the landlady who was showing her the apartment, both smiled at him.

"He's adorable." Mrs. West told Kay softly. "Looks just like you."

"Thank you." Kay replied, beaming.

"His father. . ."Mrs. West asked tentatively.

"Isn't in the picture." Kay responded, more sharply than she intended.

"I'm sorry." Mrs. West instantly apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright." Kay replied with a smile. "You didn't upset me, I just don't want to talk about Charlie's father around him. It tends to upset him."

"I'm sorry." Mrs. West said again. "Well, I'll leave you two to get unpacked. If you need anything, remember my husband and I live just downstairs."

"Of course. Thank you." Kay said with a smile. Impulsively, Mrs. West reached out and hugged Kay, who returned the embrace warmly. Then Mrs. West was gone, leaving the small family alone in their new apartment.

Stepping around Charlie gently, Kay walked to the picture window and stared out at the view, but seeing the past. More than three years ago, Kay had run from Harmony in the middle of a snowstorm, taking only the unborn baby inside her, a duffel bag full of clothes and all of her life savings, just over $5,000, and never looked back. She had ended up in a one room hole of an apartment three months later with a slightly premature but perfectly healthy baby boy she had named Charles Samuel Bennett. When Charlie had first been put in her arms, Kay had been overjoyed to see that he looked nothing like Miguel. In fact, Charlie looked like his mother and his grandfather. He had Kay's dark, golden brown hair, bright blue eyes, flawless ivory skin, high cheekbones and stubborn jaw. He and Kay even had the same small, slightly upturned nose. He had her mischievous gleam in his eyes, and her crooked grin. He may have been a little quieter than most three year olds, but he was smart and loved getting into trouble like other boys his age. Kay loved him with all her heart.

Charlie had been born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a one room hole above the strip club where Kay worked as a waitress. The girls who danced had been some of Kay's best friends, helping her pay her medical bills, and taking care of Charlie while Kay worked. The lady who ran the place, Ms. Rhonda, had also taken a shine to Kay, and had promoted her to bartender only four days after her nineteenth birthday. Even Mike, the huge bouncer, had taken a liking to Kay, keeping an eye on her and making sure that nobody bothered her. Somehow, Ms. Rhonda found out about Kay's budding interest in photography and encouraged it. Kay even took shots of the girls to use as publicity. Ms. Rhonda had loved them and payed Kay more than what she thought she deserved and had recommended Kay to all of her business associates. Soon, Kay was in high demand to shoot publicity photos, and had even kept a few of her better shots for her portfolio.

Kay had been happier there then she ever remembered being. Charlie had been a happy and healthy five month old baby boy when _he_ showed up. _He_ was someone who had been hired by her father to find her. How he did, she would never know. He had just shown up at the bar one night, told her who he was, and why he was there. He told her to get Charlie and her things and get in his car outside and he would take her home. Instead, Kay had jumped back out of his reach and screamed for Mike. Mike had been there in an instant and started fighting with the guy, who was still trying to grab Kay. Ms. Rhonda had jumped in front of Kay and told her to run. She had grabbed Charlie, and one of the dancers, a girl named Ryan, had taken Kay and Charlie to her house. Kay and Charlie hid out there while Ms. Rhonda and Mike cleaned out her apartment and brought her things to her. All the girls had held an impromptu goodbye party that night, giving Kay things she would need for Charlie like diapers and formula and blankets and clothes, and giving her enough money to run once again, and start a new life and a new career as a photographer somewhere else. Then Mike had driven her to the bus stop the next day and stayed with her until she got on the bus. As she had waved, she had seen Mike shed a single tear. Touched, Kay had quickly snapped a picture of the big man with one tear on his cheek, then waved to Mike until she could no longer see him.

What had followed was a blur of cities. Lexington, Kentucky, Kansas City, Missouri, Indianapolis, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, Des Moines, Iowa and even Honolulu, Hawaii before finally coming here, to Dallas, Texas. Every time they moved, Kay's reputation as an excellent photographer grew, and the places where they lived got bigger. This was there last move Kay hoped. She had been hired by one of the biggest magazines in the world to come and work in their Dallas office as a freelance photographer. As a freelancer, she got the same pay and benefits as a staff photographer, but was more free to choose her assignments and her hours, which meant she could spend more time with her son. The office building where she worked also had a free daycare for all employees, which was excellent news for Charlie.

Their new apartment was on the top floor of the apartment building, and was really bigger than was really necessary for just her and Charlie with four bedroom and two bathrooms, but it was perfect. A bedroom for her, a bedroom for Charlie, and then the other two could be turned into a playroom for Charlie and a darkroom for her. And the view from the picture window in the living room was fantastic.

"Wanna go see your room Charlie?" Kay asked, turning from the view. Charlie looked up with an ear to ear grin and scrambled to his feet.

"Yeah!" He cheered, running to her. Kay scooped him up and walked down the hall. "This is going to be Mommy's darkroom. You remember the rules for Mommy's darkroom?" She asked. Charlie nodded seriously.

"Yes. If the door's closed I have to knock and wait for you to say it's okay." Charlie recited.

"Good boy." Kay said with a smile, ruffling his hair. Charlie beamed at her.

"This is Mommy's room." Kay opened the door and let Charlie look inside.

"Ohh. Big Mama." Charlie said appreciatively. Then he turned apprehensive. "Is my room close?"

Kay tightened her arms around Charlie and kissed his forehead. Charlie sometimes had vivid and terrifying nightmares, and Kay would always come running when he did.

"Your right next door." Kay assured her son, opening the next door and showing Charlie his new room.

"Wow!" Charlie yelled, wiggling. Kay put him down with a laugh, and Charlie ran into his new room. "Wow! It's so big Mama!" Charlie laughed and spun around in the middle of the room. "Wow!"

"We can put your bed right here." Kay said, choosing a spot at random.

"With my Spider-Man poster over it?" Charlie asked excitedly.

"Of course." Kay told him with a smile.

"And my Nightmare Before Christmas poster can go over there!" Charlie pointed and Kay had to laugh.

"I don't know why you like that old movie so much." She teased. Charlie grinned at her, his bright blue eyes twinkling.

"It's a good movie Mama." He protested, his crooked smile on his face. Kay laughed and ran over to tickle him. She had no idea why Charlie loved Nightmare Before Christmas, but he did. Kay was already shopping Hot Topic to do his room in Nightmare Before Christmas. It cost quite a bit, but she could afford it now and Charlie would be delighted. Charlie shot past her across the hall.

"What's this room?" He asked, struggling to open the door next to Kay's darkroom. Kay laughed and opened the door to reveal the smallest room in the house.

"This is going to be your playroom Charlie." Kay told him.

"Cool!" Charlie yelled, running in. He stood in the middle of the room and spun around, giggling uncontrollably as he collapsed on the fluffy dark green carpet. Kay laughed as she crossed the room and scooped him into her arms. Charlie continued to giggle as he hugged her tightly.

"I love you Mama."

"I love you too Charlie."


	2. Previous Occupant

CHAPTER TWO

Kay woke up the next morning and carefully stepped over Charlie. They had spent the night in sleeping bags in the living room, which had excited Charlie. Kay smiled down at her three year old son curled up in his Spider-Man sleeping bag, a Bedtime Bear Teddy Bear clutched tightly to his chest, his hair sticking up all over the place. Kay bent down and place a small kiss on his forehead that made him squirm slightly in his sleep, then stood up and made her way to the kitchen. The smell of cooking eggs and bacon was enough to penetrate Charlie's sleep fogged brain and he stumbled into the kitchen in his Nightmare Before Christmas pj's, with his teddy bear still clutched tightly under one arm. Charlie's hair was sticking up in every direction, and his bright blue eyes were still bleary.

Kay laughed as her son dragged himself into one of the kitchen chairs and blinked owlishly at her.

"Good morning Charlie. Eggs?"

"Umph." Charlie mumbled, making Kay double over in hysterical laughter.

"Charlie, you look like an extra in a zombie movie." Kay said through her giggles.

"Umph." Charlie repeated, deciding it was to early in the morning for any intelligent conversation. Kay took pity on her son, and sild a plate of eggs in front of him. Charlie grunted something and began inhaling the food. Kay watched Charlie with wide eyes, making sure to keep her hands away from Charlie's mouth. He finished and shuffled out of the room without a word. Kay stared after him, then shrugged, and ate her own breakfast. When she had finished that and done the dishes, she walked out to find Charlie sitting on his sleeping bag and watching cartoons on TV, looking only slightly more alert than he had in the kitchen.

"Are you feeling more sociable now baby?" Kay asked with a smile as she sat next to him. Charlie yawned and crawled into her lap and snuggled into her chest, but nodded all the same.

"A little Mama."

"Your just not a morning person, are you honey?" Kay asked with a smile, petting his hair. Charlie shook his head.

"No Mama."

"Well, how about the park?"

"Yeah!" Charlie yelped, scrambling off of her lap and running to his room, where Cordelia had put the suitcases containing Charlie's clothes. He came back dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank top with a dark red short sleeve button up shirt over it and a pair of black sneakers. He also had a New York Yankees baseball hat on his head.

"Come on Mama! Let's go!" Charlie yelled.

"Okay, okay." Kay laughed. She was in a pair of jeans and a dark red tee shirt herself with a pair of white sneakers. She had on a matching New York Yankees baseball cap with her hair pulled up through the back.

"Where's your jacket?"

"Do I need it?"

"Just in case."

"Okay Mama." Charlie chirped, running back and getting his oversized black Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie that had Jack's face on it.

"Now can we go Mama?" Charlie begged. Kay laughed and picked him up.

"Yeah, we can go."

At the park, Kay took a lot of pictures of Charlie on the swing, or sitting in the dirt on his butt after flying off a slide. Charlie didn't mind, laughing and waving at his mother while running around, wearing himself out. Kay finally suggested they head home when she noticed Charlie let out a huge yawn and rub a dirty fist across his eyes. Charlie didn't protest, but he did reach up to her, silently asking to be carried. Kay reached down and picked him up, letting him warp his arms around her neck and rest his head on her shoulder. On the way past the mailboxes in the lobby, Kay saw that she had mail.

"That's weird." She muttered.

"What weird Mama?" Charlie asked.

"We have mail sweetie." Kay said, opening the door with the small key Mrs. West had given her. It was weird, they shouldn't have been getting mail yet. Kay had left a forwarding address at her old place, but that would still take a few days. Kay took out the two envelopes, and noticed that they were addressed to someone named Anthony Cetanwakuwa Boudreaux.

"Boudreaux?" Kay said out loud, than snapped her fingers. "Oh, this must be the guy who lived here before us."

With Charlie now dozing lightly in her arms, Kay walked down the hall to Mrs. West's apartment. She knocked on the door, and the pretty older woman opened it after few minutes.

"Yes? Why Kay, what can I do for you honey?" Mrs. West asked with a smile. Kay had to smile back as she held out the mail.

"This was in my mail box. It's for an Anthony Boudreaux. Was he the guy who had my apartment before me?"

"Yes, he was. Tony used to live there with his fiancé, a vague, blonde headed girl who was kind of an air head. I didn't like her much. After she canceled the wedding, he moved out. Wanted a smaller place, and one that didn't have bad memories."

"Oh. Well, do you have a forwarding address so I can send them to him?"

"Oh, no I don't. But I do have a work number around here somewhere. . ." Mrs. West turned and rummaged through some drawers in a desk. "Here it is!" Then she looked at the clock. "Oh no, my daughter and I are going to be late for her doctors appointment."

"I could call him for you." Kay offered.

"Would you? That would be so great." Mrs. West handed her the number and smiled at Kay. "Thank you so much."

"Not a problem." Kay told her with a smile. She took the number, then smiled down at Charlie. "Come on Charlie, I'll race ya." She told her son. Charlie laughed and took off for the stairs, his mother right behind him.


End file.
